Should Your Air Filter be Changed More Frequently During Summer?

Air filter maintenance is essential if you want your cooling and heating system to operate at peak efficiency year round. This means inspecting the filter regularly, and changing it before it gets clogged and starts restricting system airflow. With summer here, you might be wondering, “Should the filter be changed more often in the summer?”

That question has a relatively simple answer. Of course, you should. The answer is somewhat obvious, in that in a mild climate like Central Florida, summer’s the season when your HVAC system gets the most work. It’s running most of the time, trying to keep your home cool and dry. And the more air that’s being pumped through an air filtration system, the more dust and debris will get captured in the filter. It gets dirtier quicker, so you need to check and change it more often.

In the winter, the Orlando area can get fairly chilly by Florida standards. However, you’re still not using the furnace or other type of heating system nearly as much as you use the A/C during the cooling season, which actually is much longer than the calendar summer. Generally speaking, you’ll want to check the air filter once per month during the heavy-use seasons, and very three months when the HVAC system’s not running as much. If you want to be safe, however, just get in the habit of looking at it every month year round.

A clean air filter will allow the blower fan or air handler to push air across the A/C evaporator coil and circulate it through the house without unnecessary restrictions from dirt and debris. A clogged filter will force the A/C to work harder than necessary. This wastes energy, stresses parts and delivers uneven cooling. Poor air filtration also will result in dirt and dust getting onto sensitive system components.

For more advice on the benefits of regular air filter changes, please contact us today at Rinaldi’s Energy Solutions, providing quality HVAC, plumbing and electrical services in the Orlando area and other parts of Florida.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in Orlando, Florida and surrounding areas about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).

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